Animal-trap.



. No.`745,11 a. PATBNTED NmLzA,` 1903. W. H. RBIPP. l ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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'UNITED STATES Patented November 24, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 745,118, dated November 24, 1903.

Application tiled .l'uly 2.1902. Serial No. 114.063. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known thatLWILLIAM H.REIFF,a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to animal-traps; and, as generally stated, it consists in the employment of a cartridge-holder and a spring-actuated hammer in combination with a bait-receiving member located in front o f the cartridge-holder and adapted to release the hammer.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view 0f myiinproved trap. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof.

1 is the base, which may be of any shape and size for its intended purpose. Secured to this base by means of screws 2 is a plate 3, which is provided with a housing 4 and an upwardly-extending lug 5.

Loosely mounted'in openings in the end walls of the housing 4 is a reciprocative ham-- mer 6, which extends outwardly and registers with a V-shaped depression in the lug 5. Encircling the hammer 6 within the housing 4 is a spring 7, which bears against one end of the housing, and a pin 8, extending through the hammer. The hammer is maintained normally retracted against the action of the spring 7 by an arm 9, projecting from the outer end of the hammer and bearing against the lug 5. y

Mounted on the plate 3 in line with the hammer 6 is a block 10, through which extends an opening 11 for the reception of a cartridge 12. The opening 11 is of dicrent diameters at the respective ends of the block for the reception of cartridges having powder-chambers of different sizes.

In order that either end of the block 10 may be presented to the hammer, I pivot said block to the plate 3 by means of a stud 13, extending through said plate, and provide the plate with a spring-actuated pin 14, adapted to register with sockets 15 in the block, and thereby lock the latter with either of its By withdrawing thepin 14 the block may be readily reversed as desired.

Pivoted to a lug on the side of the plate 3 is a lever 16, one end of which extends adjacent the lug 5 and lies directly beneath the arm 9. The other end of the lever extends inthe opposite direction beyond the block 10 and is bent, as shown in Fig. l, so as to form a bait-receiving eye 17in front of and directly in line with the opening 11 and hammer 6.

Thus it will be seen that if bait be applied to the eye 17 and the parts be placed in the positions shown in the drawings anA animal endeavoring to release the bait from the eye will cause the lever 16 to raise the arm 9 sufficiently to disengage the latter from the lug 5, whereupon the spring '7 actuates the hammer 6 to forcibly strike and explode the cartridge l2, thereby discharging the bullet, which strikes the animal in a manner to kill or wound the latter. i

In order to prevent the accidental discharge of the cartridge should the hammer be released when the trap is being set, I provide a plate 18, which is pivoted to the housing 4 by means of a screw 19, so that one of its ends 2O extendsbeyond the housing. By turning the plate 18 so that the end 2O extends toward the lug 5 the hammer is prevented from striking the cartridge by the arm 9 coming in contact with the end 20 of said plate.

I preferably provide the base l with a chain 2l, by means of which the trap may be secured so as to prevent its being carried 0E by an animal endeavoring to secure thebait after the hammer has been released.

I claim-- 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support, a cartridgeholder, a spring-actuated hammer, a lug on said support, a projection on said hammer adapted to engage said lug to retain said hammer retracted; a lever having one of its ends extending forwardly of the cartridge-holder and the other end arranged adjacent said prohammer adapted to engage said lug to retain said hammer retracted, aleverarranged adja cent to said arm whereby when said lever is operated the hammer is turned to release the arm from engagement with the lug, and a bait-receiving member connected to said lever located in front of the cartridge-holder.

3. In a device of the character described the combination of a support, a block provided with cartridge-receiving openings of different diameters in the respective ends thereof, a spring-actuated hammer, means for retaining said hammer retracted, a bait-receiving member, located in front of the cartridge-holder, means whereby said bait-receiving member may be actuated to release said hammer, and means for reversing the respective ends of said block.

4:. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support, a block provided with cartridge-receiving openings of dilerent diameters in the respective ends thereof and pivoted to said support, sockets in said block, a spring-actuated pin adapted to register with said sockets, a spring-actuated hammer, means for retaining said hammer retracted, a bait-receiving member located in front of the cartridge-holder and means whereby said bait-receiving member may be actuated to release said hammer.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support, a housing thereon, a spring actuated hammer extending through said housing,means for retaining said hammer retracted, a cartridge holder ar ranged on the support in line with the hammer, a bait-receiving member located in front of the cartridge-holder, means connected to the bait-receiving member whereby when the latter is actuated the hammer is released, an arm projecting from the hammer; and an arm pivoted to the housing and adapted when in one position to engage the iirst-named arm to prevent the hammer from striking the cartridge, and when in another position to permit said hammer to strike the cartridge.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. REIFF.

Witnesses:

ANDREW V. GROUPE, RALPH I-I. GAMBLE. 

